


Just Breathe

by JolinarJackson



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Kidnapping, Medical Procedures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:21:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29110707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JolinarJackson/pseuds/JolinarJackson
Summary: In this unremarkable surrounding, the sight of the cylindrical tank that was placed in the middle on a small pedestal and almost reached the ceiling was jarring.It was filled with a light-blue fluid and in that fluid, chained to a ring at the bottom of the tank by his wrists and ankles was Peter.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 26
Kudos: 168





	Just Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> Written upon a prompt from my friend Shoyzz-art and for her birthday! Happy birthday!   
> Beta: Many thanks to geekymoviemom for the medical input!

When Tony saw Peter, he thought he was dead.

It was a split-second thought, barely formed before he violently shoved it away again with the help of a denial so strong he could barely breathe. His chest felt tight at the thought of having come too late, of having taken too long to track Peter’s kidnapper down.

Of having failed Peter.

So he forced his rational mind to take control again, to take stock and to take action.

The basement room they were in was small, the door hidden so well that Tony had only found it with FRIDAY’s help. The walls and floor were tiled white and bare, the neon lights installed in the ceiling flickering every now and again. In this unremarkable surrounding, the sight of the cylindrical tank that was placed in the middle on a small pedestal and almost reached the ceiling was jarring.

It was filled with a light-blue fluid and in that fluid, chained to a ring at the bottom of the tank by his wrists and ankles was Peter.

The chains kept him afloat in the middle of the tank, not touching the top or the bottom of the cylinder. Though his shoes had been removed, he was still wearing the t-shirt and jeans he’d left the Compound in a couple of days ago. His eyes were closed and a mask made of clear plastic was strapped around the lower half of his face, covering his nose, mouth and chin and connected with a tube to the bottom of the tank.

Tony was almost grateful he didn’t seem to be conscious.

“Holy shit,” Sam murmured behind him. Tony hadn’t even noticed he’d followed him but he was suddenly immensely grateful. Sam was the closest thing they had to a medic and it would probably still take a while for the back-up they’d requested to arrive. Tony hadn’t been able to wait, going against Steve’s suggestion to delay their attack on Kraven’s mansion until the DODC would join them.

Tony tapped the housing unit and his suit retracted as he stepped up to the control panel placed in front of the tank. “We have to get him out of there.” His voice was hoarse, the words feeling like they came out pressed past glass lodged into his throat. His eyes caught on Peter’s pale face, a half-healed cut at his hairline now visible.

“We found a flight manifest for tomorrow,” Sam said, stepping up next to him. “He was clearly planning to take Peter out of the country in this thing.”

“I don’t think this is the first time he’s done this,” Tony answered.

“Yeah, the guy’s a pro,” Sam agreed. “Can you open it?”

The question pulled Tony’s eyes away from Peter’s face and he quickly focused on the control panel again. Oxygen levels were displayed in one corner, so the mask was probably feeding Peter air. Maybe also some kind of sedative. The set-up was pretty basic, though, buttons labeled _Eject_ and _Open_ available in the middle of the screen. “Yeah.” The _Open_ button was greyed out, so Tony pressed _Eject_.

A loud hum sounded from the tank, then Tony noticed that the fluid level was slowly lowering, the fluid pumped out of the tank through a mechanism in the pedestal. The slow lowering of the fluid level brought Peter down, too, until he reached the bottom where he limply sagged against the tank wall. There was a low beep and the _Open_ button became available.

Tony moved to kneel behind Peter as Sam pressed it. The tank walls retracted into the floor and Tony caught Peter as he slumped backwards then moved to position him more comfortably, making sure that the mask’s tubing and the chains weren’t bothering him. He leaned over Peter, touching his cheek gently. Peter was wet and cold, the mask and its straps so tight around his head that they were pressing marks into his skin. Sam was kneeling down on Peter’s other side and taking his pulse while Tony fumbled with the mask’s clasp at the back of Peter’s head, trying to open it.

“Wait, wait, no!” Sam said, grabbing Tony’s wrist. He was frowning and leaned down closer, peering at the mask. “That thing has an endotracheal tube attached,” he said.

Tony’s eyes widened and he looked a little closer at the mask, noticing that the tube connected to the tank’s pedestal wasn’t feeding oxygen into the mask, but had been inserted into Peter’s mouth. “He intubated him,” he murmured, stunned.

“Let’s hope he did it properly,” Sam replied. “Getting intubated without a sedative isn’t fun.”

“What’s the ETA on med-evac?” Tony asked.

“About ten minutes,” Sam replied. “I could remove it, but I’d rather let them do it.”

Tony nodded, his hand reaching out to cradle Peter’s cheek, his thumb smoothing over the strap. Sam gently pressed around the cut in Peter’s forehead, shaking his head when Tony gave him a questioning look. “Should be fine.”

Tony looked back down at Peter’s face, trying to calm his galloping heart into something more healthy. Peter was okay, he was going to be fine, they just needed to get him to the infirmary and … and Peter’s brow furrowed.

“Did you see that?” Sam asked.

“Oh no,” Tony murmured. “No, no, come on, stay asleep.”

They weren’t so lucky.

Peter’s eyes opened, blinking hazily and then he coughed weakly, his hands coming up to his mouth, but the movement was aborted due to his hands still being chained. Peter wined and gagged, his back arching and for a long moment, Tony was afraid that he would choke.

“He’s breathing against the tube,” Sam said, jumping up and running over to the control panel. “I’ll try to see if we can turn it off.”

Peter choked for real this time, his eyes going wide and his breathing labored, panicked as the ET tube pulled air into his lungs in a rhythm that contradicted Peter’s attempts to breathe on his own. His hands started towards his throat, his chest hitching as he coughed weakly.

“Tony, you gotta calm him down,” Sam said, strained.

Tony was already at it, his hands framing Peter’s face as he leaned over him, staring into his panicked eyes. “Peter, you need to calm down. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

Tears were leaking out of Peter’s eyes, his gaze hazy as if he wasn’t quite there, and Tony wondered whether him being awake right now was his body fighting against a sedative. He shuddered at the thought, wondering whether Peter had woken up before, finding himself in that tank …

Peter’s head banged against the floor as he struggled and Tony quickly slid one hand around to protect his skull from further impacts. “Peter, let it happen. Let it breathe for you, it’s okay,” he said. “It’s okay, I swear.”

Peter whined and twisted his head from side to side, clearly trying to get rid of the mask somehow. It was as if he didn’t even see Tony, or maybe he didn’t believe he was really there.

“Tony-“

“It’s not working,” he snapped.

Sam cursed and knelt next to Peter again. “I’ll remove it.”

“Are you sure?” Tony asked.

“Breathing against it can harm him as well,” Sam replied. It wasn’t what Tony wanted to hear, but he didn’t think they had a choice.

Sam pulled Peter into an upright position and turned him slightly to lean against Tony’s chest. Peter’s back arched, his feet kicking out and hitting Sam in the stomach. But his movements were slow and uncoordinated, no real strength behind them. Tony put his arms around him, keeping him still against his chest.

“Tony, hold the mask in place.”

Tony complied, pressing his hand against the mask as Sam reached around Peter’s head to try and open the clasp. Peter whimpered, a cough stuck in his chest as one hand came up to try and pull Tony’s away. “It’s okay,” Tony murmured, lowering his head to whisper into Peter’s ear. “It’s okay, underoos, it’s okay.”

Sam pushed Peter’s hand away and replaced Tony’s on the mask, his fingers shifting underneath it. He placed his other hand on Peter’s forehead. “Take a breath, take a breath,” he muttered. When Peter inhaled, for once almost in sync with the ET tube, Sam pulled the mask away, the tube coming with it.

Peter gagged and coughed, and Sam hurried to pull him to lie on his side he needed to throw up. He met Tony’s eyes, relief evident on his face. “Okay,” he said. “Okay.” Then he got up and took a couple of steps away, speaking into his comm unit.

Tony breathed a sigh of relief, pulling Peter tighter against his chest. Peter slumped against him, his eyes closing slowly. Tony tapped his cheek gently, Peter’s eyes opening a little.

Tony brushed wet strands of hair out of his forehead. “You need to stay with me for a little while, kid.” Peter looked up at him but he seemed still dazed, his eyes unfocussed. Tony smiled at him. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “I got you.” He closed his eyes for a short moment, murmuring, “Just breathe.”

END

01/2021


End file.
